News &amp; Features - December 2009

John Gerstenberger of Loveland pushes his daughter Oriana Gerstenberger down a hill at North Lake Park in Loveland. Gerstenberger took his daughter out to enjoy the snow after he picked her up from preschool.

Michael Robeson, of Loveland, pushes his daughter Sarah, 5, down the sledding hill at Kroh park on Dec. 13.

Taryn Smithey of Eaton barrels down a sledding hill at Kroh park on Dec. 13 with a dog named Daisy close behind.

Justin Smithey, 10, of Eaton launches off a jump at the Kroh park sledding hill on Dec. 13.

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While dressed as Santa Claus crossing guard Pat Milinazzo assists Liam Baur, 14, and Chance Dana, 14, to cross the street Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of SW 14th St. and Dotsero Ave. Milinazzo said he also dressed up as Santa last Christmas and enjoys putting smiles on the faces of passers by.

Joan Campbell uses - what else - cat litter to get a forklift unstuck that was helpful in unloading nine pallets of donated catfood from a truck.

Volunteer Fred Renner, right, watches as a pallet of cat food is unloaded from a truck on Wednesday afternoon outside Duncan's Place, a cat rescue in Loveland. Cathy Campbell, founder of Duncan's Place, asked the Merrick Petfood Company for a donation of a couple of cases but the company sent her a donation of 14,000 pounds of catfood. She called up local rescues and asked volunteers to help distribute the food to them.

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Danielle Snow gets a congratulatory kiss from her brother, Ryan, after Ferguson High School's second-quarter graduation ceremony Tuesday at the school.

Diana Montgomery, administrative technician for the City of Loveland public works department, hauls coats collected at the Chilson Recreation Center and the Loveland Public Library to a central collection area at Tuesday at the Civic Center. The coats will be taken to the House of Neighborly Service where they will be redistributed to area shelters.

A lone lost glove rests atop the head of the cat on a sculpture called "Oreo" by artist Rafe Ropek on Tuesday afternoon as clouds threaten snow. A storm is expected to drop one to three inches of snow throughout the day with temperatures in the mid 20s.

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Sara Burns holds a rose and her diploma while sitting onstage with classmates Tuesday during Ferguson High School's second-quarter graduation.

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Ferguson High School teacher Diane Breslin, right, shares a laugh with Ashley Patterson during the school's second-quarter graduation Tuesday.

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Mariah Trujillo pumps her fists in the air while standing onstage with Ferguson High School teacher Kathy Graves during the school's second-quarter graduation ceremony on Tuesday.

United States Postal Service Letter Carrier Travis Stevens walks his route eastward along Third Street toward Washington Avenue on Tuesday. "I love this time of year," said Stevens. "Even though the work load is a bit heavier."

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United States Postal Service retail associate Bartt Wilker, left, assists Berthoud resident Christi Harris and her daughter, Sara, 3, as they mail several packages at the post office at 446 E. 29th St. in north Loveland. The Monday before Christmas is traditionally the busiest day at the post office during the holiday season.

Gene Hines of Loveland takes a test to work for the U.S. Census during the application process at the Loveland Police and Courts Building. Hines who said he was applying to supplement his retirement, was one of 16 people who were applied to work for the census. According to a census employee, another job fair will be held from 8:30 a.m to 3 p.m., Jan. 6 at the Vinyard of the Rockies Church at 900 Josephine Court to fill the 1,700 positions in a nine county area that includes Larimer County.

Sydney Moore, 2, sits on her mother Leslie Moore's shoulders Sunday during the Holiday Tree Lighting at the Loveland Museum/Gallery.

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Windsor residents Nicholas Hall, 12, left, and Brenda Hall are assisted by U.S. Postal Service retail associate Joanne Rocheleau on Monday at the post office at 446 E. 29th St. in north Loveland.

Dressed as a Christmas tree, Loveland Elks Club member Jim Sisler greets Cora Cox of Loveland, 2, as she darts past him during the Elks Christmas Party in downtown Loveland. Her cousin Jacob Simpson, 2, eats a cookie in the background after both children visited with Santa Claus.

Travis Pflock, 8, left, and Lexi Pflock, 17, pack donated items like toiletries, food, stationary, cards and other items into boxes while volunteering with others Dec. 5 at The Associated Veterans Club to prepare care packages for soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Lenny Kellogg plays a tuba in downtown Loveland on Dec. 5, 2009 during a ceremony dedicating the mural painted by Sheldon James on the side of the Loveland Community Health Center building.

Members of the Santa's Trombones play for visitors to downtown Loveland during the Winter Walk event on Dec. 5. From left are Todd Brubaker, Charlie Spillman, Mike Conway, Brian Sharpe and Wilson Winner.

Three-year-old Theo Lambrakos plays with his dog, Summer, while sitting on the couch with his parents Theo and Lindsay in their Loveland home. Young Theo will appear Tuesday morning on an episode of the children's show PICME on the PBS Sprout Channel.

Theo Lambrakos appears with animated characters in the PBS Sprout Channel show PICME.

Larry Hagan, playing the part of a Roman soldier, hassles Samantha Wacker, 14, as she plays the part of a beggar during A Night in Bethlehem event at the First United Methodist Church on Sunday night. The church held the event to depict the setting of the Christmas story.

Nurses and staff of the Ob/Gyn department have a potluck before a staff meeting on Wednesday at McKee Medical Center.

Nurses and staff of the Ob/Gyn department, from left, Barb Gindl,Sherry King and Patty Swanson share a laugh as they cut a ham during a potluck on Wednesday at McKee Medical Center. Some hospital workers must celebrate the holidays while at work and many at the McKee do it by sharing food.

Barry Thompson, left, and his son, Ryan, went to the Rugby World Cup in June 1995 in South Africa that is included as part of the movie "Invectus," which also chronicles the life of Nelson Mandela. Ryan was 13 years old and kept a scrapbook of the events surrounding the World Cup.

Tom Eckrich, left, spins a wooden top on his finger while chatting with Espn Sauer, 9, right, and Clay Walker, 9, at his table Saturday afternoon during a Christmas Bazaar at the Associated Veterans Club in downtown Loveland. At rear from left are Thomas Walker and Marilyn Walker.

Eight-year-old Katelyn Kness is assisted by Joan Stephenson, left, as Katelyn and her mother, Elizabeth, check out some books at the Loveland Public Library on Wednesday.

Anson Lichtfuss, 12, left, and Robby Hill, 11, use computers in the children's section of the Loveland Public Library on Wednesday. The library has a variety of activities scheduled for children over their winter break from school including a movie afternoon Dec. 23 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., a Rock Band tournament from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 31, and a game afternoon from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 5.

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Students at Big Thompson Elementary School were able to handle red wiggler worms during a demonstration Friday at the school for Worm Day.

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A red wiggler worm squirms around in a student's hand during a Worm Day activity at Big Thompson Elementary School on Friday, Dec. 18, 2009.

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Big Thompson Elementary School second graders handle worms from compost during a demonstration Friday for Worm Day. A variety of activities took place for all grades who have been studying the ways in which worms are benefitial to the environment.

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Big Thompson Elementary School teacher Butterscotch Culhane, front, talks to third graders from Laura Edwards' near some composting worm bins outside the school during Worm Day.

Books on display at Anthology Bookstore in downtown Loveland sit among holiday decorations.

Eight-year-old Tyler Randol-Inskeep collects his change from Anthology Bookstore manager Teresa Martinez after purchasing a book and bookmarker Wednesday at the downtown Loveland store.

Firefighters spray down hot spots from a grass fire just south of Masonville early Thursday afternoon. Firefighters responded to the blaze just after noon and had it contained less than an hour later.

Nine-year-old Kellis Ward stands at the microphone as he spells a word during a Spelling Bee at Garfield Elementary School on Thursday. Kellis finished in first place after second place finisher Allison Atchley, 9, missed the word "velocity." The rest of the top-ten finishers who all qualified for the District Bee in January are Connor Frey, 9, Evyn Batie, 9, Walker Grove, 9, Max Ramos, 10, Faith Sterling, 10, Antoinette Despain, 10, Kyle Whittle, 9, and Kenzee Bollar, 10.

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Turner Middle School eighth grader Daniel Raak, 13, center, explains his project to science fair judge Scott Kirk while classmate Zach Strong, 13, waits in front his project to be interviewed Thursday in the school's gymnasium. There were 150 projects on display from all eighth graders at Turner and several judges on hand as each student had to conduct a minimum of two interviews about their projects.